Jake's Companion
by MaddieNicole
Summary: A companion piece to "Jake's Series". JJ/Hotch
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello everyone! This story is a companion piece to Jake's Series. It isn't necessary to read it before you read this story, but I think the reader experience would be at its best if Series was read first. Let me know what you think of this idea, and if you catch on to what I'm aiming for

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Criminal Minds.

Jake's Companion #1

"Zinski's a joke, he'll never get anywhere," Jackson pauses to take a sip of his drink. "He's incompetent, needs to go back to wherever he came from."

I sigh and swirl my wine glass. I'm more of a beer girl but I felt awkward ordering one in a ritzy place like this.

"Yeah, how'd he get here in the first place?" Moore asks.

"Top Dog's nephew or something. A total cliché and waste of time, if you ask me."

Since I started at the State Department, I have been working with self-absorbed bureaucrats that have tunnel vision on their opinions, and theirs alone. The politics of my new job are suffocating. I tried to follow Morgan's advice and greeted my new position with as much optimism as I could muster but it fell flat after the first day.

I mean, I'm here, supposedly celebrating, but I am counting down the minutes till I can leave without being disrespectful. I want to be somewhere else, far away from people like Jackson and Moore.

"So JJ, how does it feel to close your first case with the major leaguers? It's great, right?"

I still don't understand where they get the term "case" when labeling what we work on. They aren't really cases; they're more like projects, top secret projects.

I offer Jackson a tight smile. "Sure is." Honestly I've felt more satisfaction, ten times over, closing _actual_ cases at the BAU.

"Yeah, I bet it is. Nothing like working in some random unit at the Bureau, that's for sure. This is a lot more gratifying."

Oh yeah? And how would you know?

I down the rest of my Riesling and eye Nathan Jackson. Morgan would kick his ass in a heartbeat. I turn around, prepared to order another glass; goodness knows I'm going to need it with this crowd. A bartender in a dress shirt and bow tie is there in an instant.

"House Riesling, please?"

I sigh and tap my card on the granite bar top. Or is it marble? Hell, why am I at a place where a few glasses of wine are going to drain my bank account?

"Hey, Jennifer." Lindsay, an office aide, sides up to me. She nods across the circular bar. "There's a guy over there eyeing you," she giggles.

"What?" I look in the direction she indicated and do a double take. Hotch?

"You know him? Who's Hotch?"

Oh. I said that out loud.

"Oh uh…" I'm aware I haven't said anything intelligent yet but my brain is still catching up to me. I haven't seen him since I left, well over a month ago. He angles his drink, most likely a scotch, towards me and has a smirk on his face.

"He's my old boss," I finish for Lindsay.

"Oh," she says dismissively. Goodness! Even the _aides_ are stuck up?

I don't care though, since I see Hotch moving around the bar towards me. I watch as he weaves in and out of the crowd, expertly holding his drink a little higher so as not to spill it.

"Here you go. Want to start a tab?"

I quickly glance backwards at the bartender and shake my head. "No, just put it on the card, please." He nods once and goes to run it. I look back to where Hotch is but don't see him. I'm confused, and I'll admit a little disappointed. Where did he go?

"JJ."

I turn around and see Hotch right in front of me. I can feel the big smile on my face.

"Hotch!" My toes strain against my shoes. I want to hug him because I'm so relieved someone I'm comfortable with is here, but I know it isn't Hotch-like to hug. He quickly looks me over as if he's checking that I'm okay. After all, we haven't seen each other in weeks, which is a major adjustment for me at least. We used to spend hours together day after day, reviewing _real _cases.

"What are you doing here?" He glances around at the people nearby, most of who are oblivious to us.

"Celebrating, we closed a…we finished…" I can't bring myself to say "case". Hotch is watching me expectantly, probably wondering how far my IQ dropped since leaving the BAU. "Uhm…"

His lips curl up and he raises his drink. "To a successful first month on the new job?"

I smile graciously and raise my wine glass to meet his tumbler. "Cheers." Our gaze lingers as we take our drinks and I think I see a bit of a twinkle in Hotch's eyes.

"So what are you doing at a place like this?" I ask him. I'm genuinely curious. I may not be a profiler, but I still know Hotch; this venue is not his style.

"A friend of mine invited me out." He turns and stands with his back to the bar and I mirror his actions. He leans sideways, as if we're co-conspirators. "He says I need to get out more often, in not so many words." He straightens back up and smirks before taking another sip of his drink.

"Well, I'd say he's right. Getting out is healthy.' I snort out a breath in irritation. "As long as it is with the right people," I say with an annoyed tone. My eyes grow big when I realized I wasn't quiet enough and I nervously cast a glance towards my coworkers. They've caught on that I'm talking to someone who I'm sure looks familiar to them. Especially familiar to Jackson, who played a part in recruiting me for my new position.

Hotch doesn't follow my gaze, he already knows we've been noticed.

"How are you?" he asks in defiance to the looks and the puffed up chests of my coworkers. Male egos really are ludicrous sometimes, especially if they belong to men of the State Department.

I smile lightly, not able to lie to him, but not able to voice the truth. I could never be dishonest with Hotch; he can read me as easily as anyone else on the team.

The team!

I quickly grasp Hotch's sleeve, feeling a surge of desperation. "How is the team? Are they doing okay?" He glances at my hand and I immediately remove it. His eyes dim so I try to lighten things up. "Everyone behaving?"

He shrugs and tilts his head. "For the most part I suppose," he jokingly answers.

I do a double take—did Hotch just wink at me? No, he couldn't have, that's not Hotch. He clears his throat and scans the group hovering nearby. He turns towards the bar, putting his back to them, and chuckles before finishing his drink. He looks at me with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

He's enjoying this! If anyone knows how to push buttons, it is Hotch. He knows how egotistic men like Moore and Jackson are. He probably deciphered their shameless pride from across the bar. I'm surprised he's acting this way, normally he wouldn't provoke anything.

"Good," I slowly say. I make sure the tone of my voice tells him I'm onto him. Hotch grins. It's small, but it is there. He turns around and outright looks at my new team. They are inching closer, like a pack of hungry dogs. "Oh, everyone," I say to the group, none of who are bothering to hide their inquisitive stares now, "this is Aaron Hotchner, my boss at the BAU."

I wince at my present tense use of the term "boss". Oops.

I smile guiltily as Hotch shakes the proffered hands. Jackson and Moore didn't bother; instead they fingered their State Department badges. Figures.

"JJ tells me you're celebrating?" he says, beginning the expected, meaningless small talk. I hate this part.

Hotch's statement is greeted with confused looks. He immediately catches on that something is off and looks to me.

"Uhm, at State I'm Jennifer, Hotch," I clarify. I blush a little. At my confession Hotch gazes at me with an unreadable expression. Maybe he's remembering that I only allow my friends to call me JJ.

"Yeah," Jackson says, interrupting the confused silence. For once the man used some tact. Sort of. "We just finished a major case." I pinch myself so I don't roll my eyes. They aren't _cases_! Jackson's answer diverted Hotch's attention from me, thank goodness. "_Jennifer's_ first one."

Hotch takes his time before answering. "Jennifer's, maybe," he says. He gives me a smile. "But not JJ's." I look into his eyes and I know he just told me that he's still trying to get me back, just as he promised to.

I never noticed how much he communicated with his eyes before. Then I realize it is because he doesn't have his trademark, stoic mask in place.

Our moment is interrupted when Jackson begins to carry on about working with the DoD for the "case".

"They called me up and asked for assistance so I took Jennifer here and…"

I stop listening. That dog. He thinks he king of the pack. Hotch quickly meets my eyes with his. For my sake he's humoring Jackson who is embarrassing all of us.

"Like I said, it was pretty involved. The BAU working on anything big?" I know what Jackson's attempting to do, but I trust Hotch not to take the bait.

"You'd be surprised," he chuckles. Jackson opens his mouth for a rebuttal but Hotch doesn't leave any time for Jackson to say anything. "It was good meeting all of you, I must get back," Hotch says in his best diplomatic voice. He gives me one last encouraging smile and places a hand on my elbow. "I'll see you soon, JJ." He takes his leave and I'm left with my coworkers and their bloated egos.

I wonder what he means by "see you soon". It could be work related, but I'm not sure how it could be. I sigh. Hotch has always been good at being cryptic.

I watch him go, wishing I could tag along. I know I'm acting desperate, but I just want to have a good time tonight and not be immersed in a group of people I can't stand. Just before Hotch disappears into the crowd, he turns and raises his phone, shaking it a little in my direction. Immediately I understand his message and I grab my purse to take out my cell. I have a text.

_Let's catch up without the dogs. Jake's Bar, 6:30 Tuesday?_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Wow! The response to the first chapter was great! Thank you so much for the reviews and taking the time to read, I'm very excited to write this story!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Criminal Minds.

Jake's Companion #2

I sigh as I disconnect the call.

"That the pilot?"

I look up at Dave as he packs some folders into a box. "Yes. We aren't leaving until tomorrow, depending on the weather." To accentuate my point, there is a flash of lightening followed by a clap of thunder.

"Docked for a few thunderstorms?" He crinkles his eyebrows, skeptical, and I wonder if he picked up that trait from me.

"Tornadoes," I clarify. I tap my phone against my palm and try to think of a way around the delay.

Flash. Clap. Boom.

Yes, it is clear I'm going to have to cancel on JJ.

"Well, we are in Kansas."

"What?" I ask him. Dave stops packing—which used to be part of JJ's job—and gives me a puzzled look.

"Kansas. You know, tornado alley?" He resumes packing as he continues to absentmindedly drone on. "Dorothy and Toto. Wicked witches…" Dave glances up at me with a smile at his, what I presume is supposed to be, witty reference. At my silence his grin turns into a scowl. "The Wizard of Oz?"

"Oh," I say. I know I'm being dismissive, but I'm hoping Dave doesn't call me out on it.

But who am I kidding?

"What's on your mind?"

For a distraction I begin to clean up the take out containers and napkins that have been abandoned on the table. "Nothing important."

"Jack?" he pushes. As he always does. The man knows how to corner me.

"No. I had plans and I hate to break them." I walk to the garbage bin in the corner of the room and drop the various Chinese food boxes, most of them half full with food. Dave waits until I am back at the table to ask his next question.

"What kind of plans?"

I grab two empty cups; I immediately know one of them belonged to Prentiss since the straw is bent and crinkled from her biting it. "Dinner and drinks with a friend." Before I head back to the trash can, I meet Dave's eyes, challenging him to call out my vagueness.

Dave's eyebrows shoot upwards, practically colliding with the ceiling. "A _friend_, friend or—"

"Just a friend, Dave," I cut him off, turning my back to him to go discard the garbage.

"I see," Dave says. As I come back to the table I can tell he's trying not to smile but he isn't doing a very good job of it.

I continue to go back and forth between the table and garbage, slowly but surely cleaning up our mess. I reach for the last Chinese carton—I had no idea the team could eat so much—and see that it is full of chicken fried rice which is one of JJ's many favorites.

I purse my lips when I think about the inevitable phone call I'm going to have to make later tonight. JJ will understand, but I still hate canceling. When I first asked her to meet to catch up I never anticipated it would turn into a regular thing. It has become therapeutic in a way, something I'll admit I've been needing as of late.

My phone rings and I go to pick it up.

"Hotchner."

"Hey! It's JJ."

"Hi," I greet. My tone is considerably softer, something that surprises even myself. I turn away from Dave, hoping for a bit of privacy. "How are you?"

"Great, it's Friday and for once I didn't need to take any work home with me," she answers.

"Good. You work too hard sometimes."

"I could say the same to you." Even though I can't see her, I'm positive she has an eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face.

"Yes, you could." I admit. Before JJ left the unit she and I inadvertently competed for the title of workaholic. "Actually, speaking of work…" A noise distracts me and I see Dave heading to the door with the box of folders. He offers me a smirk before he exits. I roll my eyes and refocus my attention on JJ.

"Hotch?"

"I'm here." I pause. "JJ I have to cancel for tonight."

"Oh." I hear a twinge of disappointment in her voice. I hate that I'm the cause of it.

"We're stuck here due to bad weather. I guess there have been tornado sightings." I suppose it is better we stay, now that I'm really thinking about it. However, it still bothers me that something as unpredictable, and dare I say, trivial, as weather is the reason we can't meet tonight.

Our meetings at Jake's have been nice. Great. Easy. And something to always look forward to.

"Well, you _are_ in Kansas," JJ says with understanding. "Tornado alley. Dorothy and Toto…" Her voice is dripping with sarcasm; true to JJ fashion.

"Yes, well," What is it with the Dorothy and Toto's?

"It's okay, Hotch. I understand."

Like she always does.

"I know the job," she continues. "Things like this happen. It's best to stay put; I wouldn't want you and the team flying in dangerous weather."

"Thank you. JJ I really do feel bad about this." I pause, wondering how much I should give away. "I was looking forward to it, as I always do."

"Me too, Hotch."

Well then. I pull a chair from the conference table and take a seat.

"Want to aim for a day next week?" I ask her. I wonder if she can hear the hopefulness in my voice. I unnecessarily straighten out my tie, which I've been told it is a nervous habit of mine, and lean back into the seat.

"Yeah, that sounds good. When were you thinking?"

"Well how about I call you when we land tomorrow? We'll figure something out? I want to check on things before I commit and end up canceling again."

She must sense my guilt and begins to come to my defense. "Hotch, it happens," she assures me. "Hey! How did the case turn out?"

"Well we caught the unsub. It was dumb luck. A state trooper pulled him over for a broken taillight. He was suspicious and called it in." I lean my head back a little further and close my eyes. I didn't realize how tired I was.

JJ chuckles and the sound makes me open my eyes and put a small smile on my face.

"Sounds like you guys caught a break for once."

"For once." I glance at the clock on the far wall. It isn't too late but I'm still on DC time. "You doing okay?"

"Yes, Hotch."

I purse my lips in irritation. She's trying to dismiss her struggles as if they don't exist. Will's long left, but I know she's stressed about work and Henry's adjustment to life without a father around. JJ's confessed that our time together helps, and same goes for me, which is another reason I. Hate. Canceling.

"JJ I don't mean to sound like a broken record but I'm just—"

"I know," she interrupts. "I promise you'll be the first person I'll call if I need anything."

I'm not sure I believe it, but I decide to trust her.

"Good. Otherwise I'm telling Morgan to beat him up."

"Hotch!" At JJ's protest I grin. "I can do that myself!" she jokes.

"I'd rather do it for you."

"I know, but you promised you'd stay out of it."

Yeah. I hate that I did that. I sigh. I've always been protective of JJ, as I am with everyone on the team, but it is different when you're protective of someone on a more personal level.

"Why do you think I'm sending Morgan?" She chuckles again. The sound is almost like a giggle. "I know I did."

I look at the table which has been cleared of files, paper plates and straw wrappers. There is another flash of lightening and the lights flicker a little. I better get moving or else Dave is most likely going to leave without me. "Well Dave's waiting for me, JJ. We have brave the weather and head back to the hotel."

"Be careful. Otherwise you'll end up in Oz," she taunts.

"What is it with that movie?"

"Oh Hotch! It'll forever be linked with tornadoes and will also forever remain one of my favorite movies of all time."

"I'll keep that in mind." I stand up and push in the chairs. "I'll talk to you soon, JJ. And again, I'm sorry I couldn't make it tonight."

"Goodnight, Hotch," she says, intentionally ignoring my comment about canceling.

"Night JJ."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** To everyone reading: THANKS! A special thank you to each of my reviewers, it is always nice to have your encouragement and support. Here's round three! I think some of the chapters are going to have more than one scene so I can touch on all the things that are mentioned in the conversations in Jake's Series (it's more fun that way). I hope you like it!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Criminal Minds.

Jake's Companion 3

"Wow! They're so big!" Jack announces to us. He is standing next to the underground tank with his palms against the glass. Henry let's go of my hand and walks up to Jack, mimicking him. It is a cute sight; they are both fascinated by the dolphins swimming around in the tank before them.

"JJ," Hotch says quietly in my ear. He grasps my elbow and motions to the camera dangling from my wrist. I hand it over to Hotch and he moves further back into the room and takes a shot of the boys from behind. When he looks at the photo he smiles.

I turn back to the Jack and Henry and chuckle. They are still glued to the glass, watching the animals. Hotch comes back to stand at my side.

"Picture turn out?" I ask him without removing my eyes from the boys. Jack begins to jump up and down when a dolphin twirls around right in front of him. Henry looks over at Jack and follows his lead, jumping too. It makes me smile.

"It did." Hotch shows it to me and it waits for my reaction.

"That's adorable!" I say, flashing him a big smile. I can tell he is proud of his picture taking since he is still looking at the photo. "Hotch, look." I motion to Henry imitating Jack.

"It seems Henry idolizes my son." Hotch turns off the camera and keeps a hold of it for me.

"Just a bit."

He cocks his head. "That's okay isn't it?"

The question catches me off guard, surprising me. Why wouldn't it be okay? "Of course. If my son is going to idolize someone, I'd prefer the person was a Hotchner." I can't tell if he thinks I'm sincere or not, but part of me really does mean it. The way he raises his son is simply amazing.

"You know, with your quick wit and charming personalities and all," I finish, gently teasing him.

To my shock he blushes. Aaron Hotchner. Blushing.

"Good to know," he nods, smiling. We share a look, I'm not quite sure why, but it is comfortable and satisfying and leaves me feeling safe.

"What's next, Dad? Can we see the monkeys?"

"Mommy can we see monkeys?" Henry chimes in. He looks to Jack for a second and turns back to me. "And white bears?"

"Yeah!" Jack points to Henry, agreeing with him. "And the polar bears!"

Hotch laughs at their enthusiasm. "Again? All right, let's go find the polar bears and monkeys."

"Yay!" Henry and Jack exclaim.

"Stay close, you two," I remind them as they turn to rush out of the room in their excitement. Hotch and I follow them and I take one last look at the dolphins on our way out.

Later on we are walking along the pathway heading towards the monkey exhibit after leaving the polar bears.

"Dad look! The bird house!"

Jack's statement makes me stop. Well, more like freeze.

"You're right, buddy. Do you want to go?" Hotch asks. He hasn't noticed that I have stopped and begun to look around for an excuse to avoid seeing the birds.

Jack nods vigorously in response. Oh no.

"All right, bud. Lead the way." After a few steps, Hotch notices I'm not following with Henry, who is in a zoo-issued stroller and half asleep. He gives me a questioning look and calls back to Jack to wait. "What is it?"

"Nothing, I just…I need to get some water, I'm beginning to feel a little bit lightheaded from the heat." I can't tell if he is falling for my excuse, but at this point I don't care. I'll do anything to avoid birds.

"Well let us come with you. We can go to the bird house on the way back."

"No!" I half shout. I pause and tell myself to be cool. "No, Jack wants to go, why don't you take him and I'll meet you back here?" I say quickly. I'm not doing a good job with the whole nonchalant approach but I. HATE. BIRDS.

Hotch studies me closely, narrowing his eyes, and I want to squirm. "Seriously, it is fine. We'll be right back."

"Okay," Hotch concedes. Thank goodness. "See you in a bit."

I give him a smile, one I hope he finds reassuring. He returns it with a small one of his own before turning to meet Jack who was waiting for him at the entrance to the bird house.

Phew. That was close.

Another hour later my heart has calmed somewhat and Hotch and I are getting the boys to go.

"Mommy I wanna see the pol' bears 'gain."

I sigh and kneel down to talk to my son. "Henry, we saw the polar bears two times. It is time to go, sweetie." I rub his arm and stand back up. After this day I am utterly exhausted.

"But mommy…" he whines, tugging on my jeans.

"Henry, honey, I'm sorry."

"Dad can we go look at the zoo store?" Jack says. I wonder if he asked because he didn't want to see the polar bears again. If that's the case, Hotch has one clever child on his hands.

Hotch looks from him to Henry and I before responding.

"JJ how about I take Henry to see the polar bears and you and Jack can go look around in the store," he suggested in a quiet voice. Henry is still tugging on my leg, persistent as always.

"Are you sure? He really doesn't need—"

"I'm sure." He leans down to pick Henry up. "We both want to see the polar bears, don't we buddy?"

"Yeah!" Henry begins to clap which makes Hotch chuckle.

"Jack, JJ is going to take you to the store, okay?"

"Okay." Jack pauses to grab my hand. "Come on JJ!" Hotch's son is dragging me towards the store and I just have enough time to mouth a "thank you" to Hotch and watch him walk away with Henry to see the polar bears. The sight of the two of them makes my fingers tingle.

/XXX/

"JJ?"

I look over to where Hotch is standing and pointing into a cage. This is the third shelter we've come to and I'm about to lose hope on ever finding a dog for Henry. I come up to Hotch and look at the dog behind the wire gate. My eyes grow wide and I smile, grabbing Hotch's arm.

"Oh Hotch, she's perfect!" I gush. I watch as the dog's ears perk up and begin to wag its tail. She looks like a small golden retriever, only with darker fur and face more like a lab. She lets out a breathy bark to say hello.

"Hi there, pup!" I'm not brave enough to finger the door to the cage just yet. I hear Hotch ask a worker about the dog but I'm not paying attention as I look into the animal's eyes. She is nothing like the dogs at Hankel's place. There isn't a vicious thing about her. She approaches the door slowly, as if she is afraid she'll startle me, and lays down. She licks her snout and watches me. I'm dumbfounded and I wonder if Hotch has room for a dog profiler on the team.

"How is she with children?" Hotch asks behind me.

"From what I've seen, great. Her temperament is a perfect match with kids, even exuberant ones," the lady chuckles.

I know the dog is perfect. I raise my hand and press it against the gate, tentatively allowing the tips of my fingers to poke through. The dog leans forward and begins to lick my hand and I giggle at her enthusiasm. I turn to look up at Hotch and find him watching me intently with a content look on his face and I wonder what has him so captivated.

"She's the one, Hotch." I smile big, convinced I've found what I am looking for.

"Still no gerbil, huh?" he jokes, referring to our conversation at Jake's. He doesn't wait for me to answer because he knows full well how stubborn I can be. It is nice how easily he understands me. It makes me feel cared for in a way I haven't felt in a long time.

Hotch puts his hands into his pockets. "What's your adoption process?" he asks the worker. She is older and reminds me of grandmothers. Her face is kind and warm and she wears glasses that frame her happy eyes.

"Once you fill out the paperwork you can take her home today," she says in a sweet voice. She smiles at us. It is clear she loves what she does. "Your children will absolutely love her!"

At her words Hotch gives me a sheepish look.

"Excellent!" I say, not bothering to correct her. Her assumption is the least of my worries right now. Right now I just want to admire the cute dog next to me.

I write a check to cover the adoption fee and fill out the paperwork—well, Hotch fills out the paperwork. I am too enthralled with Henry's new pet. Outside of her cage she is even more playful and well mannered. I've struck gold with this dog; Hotch is definitely my good luck charm. I kneel down and frame her furry face with my hands.

"You are so cute. I know Henry will love you!" I whisper. I hear Hotch's voice in the other room. "Jack and Hotch too." I scratch her soft ears, something she seems to like, and can't wait to show her to the boys.

"Are you ready JJ?" Hotch asks. He slows a bit at the sight of me on the ground with the dog. He lets out a small chuckle and walks up to us. "Everything's set." He is holding a blanket on his arm and papers in another.

"Everyone's going to love her, Hotch." I say, petting her head. I stand, ready to go and bring the dog home.

"Here," Hotch says with a soft voice. From under the blanket he hands me a leash and collar. "I thought purple would be best," he tells me knowingly.

My eyes light up. "Where did you find these?" I'm surprised and touched that he remembered my love for purple. I take the proffered items and go to put them on the dog.

"In the front." He jerks his head towards the door he just came from. "They have a few things available for purchase. We'll still need to stop at the pet store though."

"Okay." I finish clasping everything and stand up, admiring how sweet she looks. I cross my arms, proud. "How much were they?" I finger the leash and turn for my purse that's on a table behind us.

Aaron grasps my elbow. "Don't be ridiculous JJ, you don't need to pay me for anything."

He pulls me away from the table and closer to him. He's gazing at me and I am instantly reminded of our moment at the zoo when the boys were watching the dolphins. I glance at the dog and she's sitting patiently, watching us. I look back at Aaron and his lips turn upwards as he releases me. "Come on. The sooner we leave the sooner Henry can meet her."

"And Jack!" I chime in.

Hotch looks at me with appreciation. "You know he will want to spend every moment at your place now that you have a dog, right?"

I shrug and don't mind the thought one bit.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Chapter 4 is up! This was a fun one to write, so I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you so much to those who reviewed and to all that have read! I must send a special shout out to my loyal reviewers who comment on every chapter: **jekkah, SSAmolloy7** and **canny-bairn**. I am sending each of you cyber hugs (do those exist?). Thank you, thank you, thank you!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Criminal Minds.

Jake's Companion 4

I let out a tired sigh as I close Jack's door, leaving it cracked open. It took me a while to get him back to sleep this time; tonight has been bad and I'm not entirely sure it is over yet.

I wander into the living room and poor myself a drink, knowing I won't be going to sleep. I am worried about Jack and it is keeping me up at night whether Jack has one nightmare or four. I walk over to the couch with my glass and fall down into it. I take a sip and contemplate how I am going to get Jack and I through all of this. I hold my tumbler on my lap and lean back, closing my eyes. I can feel my exhaustion in my bones but my mind won't allow me to rest.

It is hard. I knew we weren't through the worst of it, but deep down I thought Jack and I were defying the odds of the grieving process. I should have known better.

There is a buzzing on the end table and I pray it isn't work. I set down my glass and pick up my phone. I have a text and it is from JJ.

_Henry and Boo._

Attached to the message is a picture of Henry snuggled up against Boo, both of them fast asleep. I quirk up the sides of my lips, but my weak smile turns into a grimace. For my son's sake, I envy Henry. He is content and sleeping as my son should be. I stare at the picture and wonder when Jack will be able to dream carefree, happy dreams again.

The image tugs at my heart. I'm pleased to see Henry fast asleep, something he's been struggling with since Will left, but my concern for Jack selfishly overrides my feelings.

One little boy is dreaming while the other is plagued with nightmares. I desperately wish Jack was the one in the photo, sleeping peacefully and feeling safe like I know Henry is.

Before I can stop it, jealousy sparks through me. Instead of answering JJ I lock my phone and discard it back onto the table.

/XXX/

Jack is bouncing with excitement as we walk up to JJ's door. He lets go of my hand and runs the rest of the way to push the doorbell. Twice. This is the most carefree and happy I've seen him in a while so I don't admonish him for his impatience. My son looks over to me and motions for me to hurry up. I pick up my pace and reach JJ's door just as she opens it.

"Jack!"

"JJ!" He gives her his obligatory hug, but lasts for barely a second before he runs into the house.

"Take off your—" but I realize it is no use to tell my son anything because he's already in the living room. He's on the floor next to Henry and is hugging Boo. She's licking Jack in greeting and he's loving it.

"It's okay, Hotch. Henry does the same thing." She shuts the door and locks it before she joins me and watches the boys playing with Boo. The dog's plush toys are all over the floor as she runs after the ones Jack and Henry toss across the room. She begins to tease them by not giving back the toys which makes the boys giggle.

I'm fascinated; in less than a minute at JJ's he is back to his old self. As promised, JJ has already managed to "make it all better" for my son.

I let out a chuckle at the sight and glance at JJ to see her reaction to the spectacle. I'm surprised when I find her watching me with a small smile on her face. Her eyes are searching mine and we stare at each other for a few seconds before blush taints her cheeks and she clears her throat.

"Come on," she says, "help me finish dinner. Boo will entertain those two for a good twenty minutes at least."

I follow her into the kitchen which smells delicious. "Are you making cookies, too?" I lean over the oven and peek inside.

"Hey! That was supposed to be a surprise, nosy!" She hits me with the towel she is holding and I immediately straighten. She narrows her eyes at my smirk.

I raise my hands in surrender. "Okay, okay!" JJ turns, trying to hide her smile, and goes to get a pot from a cupboard. "What can I do?" I ask her, rolling up my sleeves. I glance up and see her bent over, reaching in, and I can't look away.

"You can fill this with water and boil it." She stands and hands over the pot. But I don't take it, because I didn't hear her at first.

"Huh?" I ask, out of my reverie. A slow, knowing smile appears on her face and I know I've been caught. I can feel the blush rise from my neck to my cheeks.

"Boil the water, Aaron," she instructs, taking a step towards me and offering over the pot. She has an eyebrow arched and is smirking at me and I want to die of embarrassment. I take the pot and walk to the sink.

"Will Jack eat some carrot and celery sticks?"

I glance over my shoulder to answer. "Yes. But count on him eating at least three helpings of macaroni and cheese, he loves the stuff."

"Don't worry, there's plenty to go around." JJ comes up to the sink to rinse the vegetables. She gives me a smile and patiently waits for me to finish.

The water is just about to where I want it so I move the faucet to her side of the sink. "Here you go," I say easily.

"Thanks," she replies.

I head to the stove and can't help but think about how in sync the interaction between us is. I attribute it to all of our years working together, reviewing cases and taking long plane rides. Meeting at Jake's has shown me a whole other side to her, too. I like it.

"Jack seems to be okay tonight," JJ observes. She is shaking out the celery and carrots onto a paper towel, but giving me most of her attention.

I turn on the burner and lean against the counter, crossing my arms. "Yeah, but honestly I don't know how long it'll last. I have a feeling we aren't past the worst of it yet." JJ studies me and bites her lip. I can tell she wants to say something. "What?"

"He'll get better, Aaron. He will because we are all here to help." She gives me an encouraging smile before she continues. "And I still say you should take Boo back with you for a few days!" says, referring to our earlier discussion at Jake's.

"Ha! You won't get her back if I do that! You know the minute I told Jack we were coming here tonight his face just lit up. It was…" I allow my sentence to drift as I nod. "It was great! The whole car ride I heard nothing but 'Boo this' and 'Henry that'." I shake my head and smile at the memory.

I hear laughter trickle into the kitchen from the living room. JJ leans towards the kitchen door and peeks into the living area and begins to giggle. I love those giggles.

"I told you Boo and Henry would be good for him."

JJ carries the rinsed vegetables over to the island so she can begin to skin the carrots. If I was brave, I would tell her she was just as good for him as Boo and Henry. Instead, I pick up the knife she set on the counter and start cutting the celery into little sticks for the boys. We work together in silence that is sprinkled with Jack and Henry's laughter, and the scene is domestic and familiar and simply comfortable.

At least, comfortable enough for her to start humming a song. I think it is the theme song to Henry's favorite Saturday morning cartoon. I smirk because I know she has no idea she's doing it. Thinking she's distracted, though I should know better, I reach over and grab a carrot stick on the edge of her cutting board.

"Hey!" JJ lightly smacks my arm, all humming ceased. "Those are for dinner." I look at her and take a bite, chewing it enthusiastically. I offer the other half to her, holding it up to her lips. She huffs and opens her mouth, taking it from my hand.

"JJ! Those are for din—"

She hits me again and I can't help but laugh.

"Better watch it, Hotchner, or no cookies for you!" she scowls, but a second later she's laughing along with me.

And all four of us are laughing. It's perfect.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thank you to the lovely **canny-bairn, Lenika08, SSAmolloy7, CintiaQuerino **&** Andi** for all their reviews! For all the readers: thanks for reading and I hope you like the story so far. This was a fun chapter to write. While it is one of the longer ones, the scenes aren't that involved (I'm not sure if this type of writing will work, let me know what you think!).

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Criminal Minds.

Jake's Companion 5

_I'm here._

I read Aaron's text and quickly type a response.

_Give me five minutes and I'll be down._

I really need fifteen minutes.

"Okay," I mutter to no one in particular. I grab the files on my desk and walk briskly towards a string of offices on the right side of the bullpen.

I never thought the Pentagon would have bullpens. It's weird.

"Lindsay I need Don to sign these," I say as the folder containing various papers and reports makes a soft thud on the aide's desk. "Review these," _thud_. "And keep these," _thud_. And to think, after all that, I still have files in my hands. I shift them from one arm to the other and massage my temple, briefly shutting my eyes. It's been a long day. "Are there any messages for me?"

Lindsay smiles and hands me a small stack of sticky notes. "Sorry," she says. She grimaces before speaking again. "And four of them are 'urgent'." She holds up her hands and makes quotation marks.

I shake my head and roll my eyes. "Oh man, Aaron is gonna kill me," I mumble. I take the stickies and slap them on top of one of the folders I'm holding.

"Who's Aaron?" Lindsay asks. She begins to pick up the folders, organizing them in her own way. Her question has caught me off guard because I'm realizing I don't have an automatic answer to it.

"A friend, my car's in the shop so he's downstairs waiting for me." I shift the folders again and half turn towards—barf—Jackson's office. "Don't forget to let Don know that—Aaron?" I stutter when I see him approach Lindsay and I. He is giving me a tentative smile but it is also cunning in a way. He rushes down the small flight of stairs leading down from the entrance and walks over. "What are you—" I said I'd meet you downstairs." I say when he comes to a stop just in front of me. I'm thankful I can form a decent sentence. The man really flusters me when he does things like this.

Aaron smirks and tilts his head. "I figured you'd be longer than five minutes." He nods a greeting to Lindsay and looks around and I wonder what he thinks of a "bullpen" in the Pentagon.

I look from him to Lindsay who is staring at him. Before I can reintroduce them, she holds out her hand. "I'm Lindsay."

Hotch stops observing his surroundings and offers his hand. "Aaron Hotchner."

She peers at Aaron and suddenly her eyes grow big with understanding. "Oh! You're Jennifer's old boss, right? From the BAU?"

Aaron looks at me with proud eyes and the tingly feeling I've been feeling around him lately comes back. "I am."

"'Hotch', right?" She has an expression on her face that is eerily like the one Abby had when she first saw Aaron at Jake's. I raise my eyebrow.

"Hello, Lindsay," Aaron says to her, polite as always. He turns to me, raising a hand that is holding his car keys. "Almost ready?" he asks in a soft voice.

I give him a quick smile. "Yes, just let me talk to Jackson real quick and we can get out of here." I see Aaron smirk since he knows how much I hate the guy.

"But those messages—"

"I'll take care of them, Lindsay," I assure her. I knock on Jackson's door and walk in, not really caring if he is in the mood to do his job or not. "The Whitney file," I say, handing it to him where he is seated behind his desk.

"Yeah just set it there," he says without looking up at me. He points to the corner of his desk. I bite my tongue and set the folder down, secretly hoping it falls over onto the floor and creates a big, giant, unorganized mess.

"Don wants us to review the numbers for J-PAC again." No response. "So tomorrow morning?"

Tomorrow will be Saturday and Jackson hates working on weekends. So do I. So does everyone.

Jackson groans. "Yeah."

"Anyone know why a Fed is here?" Jackson and I both look towards his office door to see Don standing half in Jackson's office and half outside of it.

If this scenario happened a few months ago it would have been awkward for me, but now I just push through because really, what are they going to do about it? I'm not breaking the law. "Yes. He's giving me a ride home." My answer doesn't appease him. "Don't worry, he has clearance."

Don raises an eyebrow and looks back out into the bullpen. "That Hotchner?"

"Your old boss is picking you up?" Jackson's tone is patronizing and critical and I do my best to ignore it.

"Yes," I answer, offering no further explanation. I look from Jackson to Don with my best innocent expression. "Do you two need anything else?" I wonder if they know me well enough yet to know that what I really me is that I don't plan on staying any later. I've been pulling 12 hour days all week, sometimes even 14, and my son probably thinks Boo is his mother by now.

"Yeah, those J-PAC numbers?" Don says, looking at Jackson and I expectantly.

"We are working on it in the morning." I hear another groan from behind me.

Don silently nods and looks back out into the bullpen where Hotch must be awkwardly standing. I have no idea why he thought things would be easier to meet up here rather than downstairs.

"Okay. Have a good weekend." Don leaves so I turn and look at Jackson, giving him a tight smile.

"See you tomorrow, then," he mumbles.

I frown at his petulant attitude. Whatever. But I forget about it when I leave his office and am greeted with a curious sight.

Aaron is standing where I left him and some of my coworkers have gathered around him, most likely doing their best to act like idiots. I sigh. Some of them aren't too bad anymore, I must admit. I slowly approach them, dodging various aides that keep making walk-by's past the group out of curiosity. We don't get many visitors up here, after all.

Per usual, Aaron senses someone else watching him. He catches my eyes briefly before turning his attention back to something Moore was saying. Jaclyn, one of Don's aides, cuts in and places a hand on Hotch's arm, giving him a glamorous smile which is filled with perfect, white teeth. I see Aaron's ears turn a light shade of red. This elicits a quiet chuckle from me but I can't be sure if it is out of humor or something else.

I could let the scene in front of me go on for longer but decide I can't be that cruel to him, or myself.

"I'm ready," I pipe in as I walk up. He uncrosses his arms and gives me a smile and it is nice to know I can make him relax just by being next to him. I begin to walk to my office and from a distance hear him mutter a few "nice to meet you's" and "excuse me's".

"Thanks for that," he says when he reaches my door and walks in.

I grin at him from where I'm standing behind my desk. "I told you I'd meet you downstairs. You were asking for that ambush," I snicker at him.

He frowns in good humor and takes a seat as I buzz around my office, trying to get things settled before I leave. "You have a good day?"

"It was a long one. I have to come back tomorrow." I toss a Chinese take-out carton into the trash and grab my bag.

"Need me to take Henry for a few?"

I grab my jacket and give him a light smile. He's always volunteering to watch my son. He says it is because of Jack but I know better; it is Boo _and_ Henry he wants. He really is a sucker for that dog. That, and Aaron and Henry are "buddies" per their words. The two of us walk out of my office and through the bullpen.

"Will's going to have Henry this weekend. But he's allergic to dogs so Boo is free." I give him a knowing look and he laughs nervously.

"Jack will be thrilled. He's missed her." Aaron holds open the door for me.

I raise an eyebrow before I walk through. "Only Jack? What about you, Mister I-sneak-that-dog-food-under-the-table-all-the-time-and-spoil-her-relentlessly?"

"You do too!" He protests. We reach the elevators and he presses the down button and waits for me to object, giving me his trademark skeptic Hotch sneer.

"I do not!"

"Uh huh. Right. You aren't going to make me stop at the pet store on the way to the dealership?" I meet his eyes and they are twinkling; they always do when we banter.

"She needs dog food!" I insist.

The doors open and he places a hand on my back, leading me inside. "I bought her a twenty pound bag last week, JJ." He squeezes my hip before releasing me and presses "Lobby".

I scowl. He caught me. "Well it is right there! Right next to the dealership!" He leans against the wall of the elevator and crosses his arms, grinning at me. I lean forward and lightly punch his shoulder.

"Ow! Okay, okay! We can go to the pet store!"

/XXX/

I will never get used to seeing Aaron Hotchner in something other than his trademark suit and tie.

"Hotch!" I yell. He turns and smiles when he sees me.

And no matter how many times I see that smile it'll always make my breath hitch.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" I look to my son who is perched on my hip and wonder when he became so observant. A thought quickly flashes through my mind: if my son notices these things, others are bound to. Crap.

Aaron says something to Rossi who is focused on the team warm-up and waves him off. Hotch jogs to Henry and I with a big grin on his face and it is infectious.

"You made it!" He stops a foot in front of us and removes his sunglasses. His other hand comes up to tap Henry's nose.

I smile and adjust Henry on my hip. "'Otch!" he says.

"Hi, Henry!" I'm fascinated by the animation in Aaron's voice. I can tell he knows I'm struggling to keep carrying Henry so he takes him from me. "Are you excited for the soccer game?"

"Yeah!" my son replies, pumping his little fists into the air. Aaron chuckles as we begin the rest of the trek towards the bleachers. We steal a quick glance towards each other and I'm under the impression he is being shy.

"Uh, Jack's excited for you to see him play," Aaron tells me, switching Henry to his other hip. "He is so enthralled with the fact that you used to play and he can't wait to show you all the moves you taught him."

I chuckle as I imagine Jack's enthusiasm. He and I kicked around the ball a few days ago when Aaron was gone on a case. I was lonely since Henry was with Will, but Jessica happened to have something come up so I took Jack for a bit. I was so glad for the distraction and it was the best afternoon I'd had all week.

"Well I'm excited to watch him." I smirk in Aaron's direction. "I'm also curious to evaluate yours and Dave's coaching skills."

Hotch comes to a stop at the base of the bleachers and turns to me with a shy smile. "Go easy on us." He sets Henry down and I go to grasp my son's hand before he runs off.

I sigh and offer Aaron a smile. He is cute when he is nervous. I know that he feels like he is in over his head with this coaching position and Aaron Hotchner hates to fail. At anything. I reach out and tangle my fingers with his. "He'll do great." I stare into his eyes and we have another one of our moments before Rossi yells for him to come back.

"I'll see you after?" His voice is hopeful which makes me want to laugh; does he really think I'd leave?

I nod. "We'll be here."

"Great!" With that he is running back to the sidelines. I watch him go and my eyes drift, and stay, on his butt. He has a cute butt and I wonder—

"Hey, Jayje!" I startle and see Rossi waving at me. He's wearing sunglasses but his grin reminds me of the cat that ate the canary. Great.

I quickly wave back and squeeze Henry's hand.

"Come on, Henry. Let's find a good spot so we can see Jack." And Aaron. Because those jeans make finding a good view worth it.

/XXX/

"Oh I know! And those arms!"

"He was wearing a suit jacket! You didn't see his arms! Unless there's something you aren't telling us?"

"That man looks fine in a suit, that's for sure."

"I don't need to see him without a suit jacket to know his arms are sexy."

"I don't know what you're saying, I'd give anything to see him out of that jacket, and out of the rest of that suit too!"

"Shhh! But yeah, I'd probably faint. I bet he's chiseled all over."

"That ass is perfect."

"Oh my goodness, yes! Okay, sorry, I'll quiet down…You are so right though, his ass looks amazing. He's really the whole package."

"I know but the best part is…"

"…his ass!"

"I bet he'd be good in bed."

"I'm sure he is. Can you imagine groping that a—"

_Crash!_

I bite my lip to stop my mouth from dropping open. I can't believe…I just…and my new jacket!

I ignore the gaggle of women further down the counter who I can feel staring at me and the now shattered coffee pot. I'm standing here, holding nothing but the handle, and if the situation weren't so embarrassing I'd be laughing.

I belong in a freaking movie.

"I'll, uh," I awkwardly set the handle down on the counter and glance towards the women. I don't meet any of their eyes and I can feel my face turning red. "I'll call someone to…" I motion to my mess, "to clean this all…" I leave my sentence hanging and make a hasty exit to go call maintenance. However, I don't get far enough before I hear Jaclyn say:

"What? It's not like she's his girlfriend or anything!"

"No, but she's probably nuts about him. Who isn't?"

I practically run to my desk so I don't hear anything else. Once I get to my office I shut the door and force myself to take a deep breath. I made a coffee pot explode. I don't know how I even did it. It just…happened!

I rub my palms against my skirt and go to sit down. I rest my head in my hands and replay everything that just happened in my head. And then I laugh.

I think I'm losing it. I think I went crazy and now I've officially lost it. Yeah. I'm nuts.

Nuts about Aaron Hotchner.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Round 6! Have at it! (By reading AND reviewing, preferably!). Once again, thanks for those of you who voice your support! **Andi** – I hope one of these is a scene you were expecting and I'm glad I didn't disappoint you with the coffee maker segment in the last chapter **To all readers/reviewers** - Any future suggestions for scenes in the next chapters, let me know!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds.

Jake's Companion 6

He is here, deeper in the house.

It is an older house so my steps are followed with loud creaks as I venture further into it. My flashlight cuts through the dark, the only thing illuminating the hallway other than the flashing lights pouring through the open front door behind me.

Reid takes the room on our left, allowing me to continue towards the back of the house. I hear Morgan shout "Clear!" from the kitchen but it is faint due to the walls between us. Next, I hear confirmation that the second floor is clear from Seaver and Prentiss in my earpiece. So that leaves the rest of the lower level. I purse my lips and venture forward.

I come to the end of the hallway and quickly turn to my left, shining my light a full 180 degrees. I come face to face with a closed door that must lead to the basement.

"I'm going into the basement," I quietly announce to the team through my mike. I steady myself and open the door, directing my flashlight down the small flight of stairs. Before I take a step, a sound to my left catches my attention. I look over just in time to see something come towards my head.

The pain of the impact is blinding and almost brings me to my knees. I feel a pair of hands on me and am pushed down the stairs. The wooden steps are old, but they're hard and jab into my sides. My hands and arms feel like they are being rubbed against a cheese grader and the pain pisses me off. Eventually I come to a stop at the base of the steps on an old rug. It smells and makes me even more nauseous.

"Freeze! FBI!" I hear Reid's shout. "Drop it!"

I need to help him but there is a buzzing in my head and I can't see anything but the small glow of my FBI issued flashlight that rolled into a corner. I focus on it, determined not to pass out, and test out my limbs. Nothing seems to be broken. I take a second and squeeze my eyes shut so the room stops spinning. I attempt to stand but can only manage to get on my hands and knees.

"Don't be an idiot, man, set it down!" Morgan shouts and I wonder what the hell the unsub is holding.

I take another deep breath and squint at the light, haphazardly making my way towards it. I finally have it in my grasp and I use the wall to edge myself the rest of the way upwards. I lean back into the corner and bend over, supporting myself with one hand on my knee while I use the other to locate my gun with my flashlight. Where the hell is the damn thing? I am trying my best to ignore the pounding in my head and will my dizziness to simmer down.

With a deep breath I wander around the small cellar and look for my glock and I can't find it anywhere. I lean against a wooden beam and try to remain focused. Upstairs my team's shouting at the unsub and their yells catch my attention. I glance upwards to see if I can gain any insight on the situation when I see my gun lying on a step.

"Don't do it!" Rossi warns the unsub. My eyes widen at the implication in his voice and I look up just as the suspect is turning to come down the stairs. I rush to grab my gun, but it is halfway up the stairwell and my body isn't cooperating. The unsub looks from me to the gun before him and I know the situation can't get any worse. He's above me and he is closer to the weapon and not injured. His eyes are crazed and time seems to stand still as our gazes remain locked on each other.

He is leaning down as I yell to my team.

"Gun!"

But my voice is drowned out by two shots. The unsub's face freezes and I dive out of his path as quickly as I can. He falls into a heap and is still. And I know he's dead.

I'm gasping for breath after all my exertion and I roll onto my back, taking a moment before my team can see me so vulnerable.

"Hotch!" Rossi yells. Before I can sit up, his face appears before mine and looks frightened. If my head didn't hurt so badly I'd remark about his dramatics.

"I'm okay," I breathe out. "I just need…a minute."

"We need a medic back here!" Morgan shouts from the top of the stairwell. I cringe at the loudness and also because I know my team is going to force me to be attended to.

I hear Morgan rush down the stairs and stop by the unsub to, I assume, check his pulse. "He's dead," he reports after a beat. I give Rossi a stern look; he should have checked that the instant he reached got down here.

"Morgan's a pretty good shot, I wasn't worried."

With a groan I hoist myself up and sit against a crate. I feel something warm on my face and I realize blood is dripping down the side of it.

"Hotch, man, are you okay?" Morgan looks over at me, anxiety written on his face.

"I'm fine." I make sure my voice tone is authoritative and sharp. I'm not going to the damn hospital.

"Yes, you're going," Rossi tells me and I frown at his mind reading skills.

"That isn't necessary," I calmly protest, "the medics can patch me up."

Dave raises his eyebrow and while I'm out of it, the action still makes me wary. "You're outvoted five to one; no one on this team is going to help you get out of going to get checked out."

"He's right, Hotch," Morgan contributes before moving back to the unsub's body to brief the lead detective on the case.

"Rossi I'm fine." I can hear more and more footsteps coming from upstairs and the sound is making my ears ring.

"Pulling the 'Rossi's' out already?" he chuckles. "Want me to make it seven to one?"

This number confuses me since Garcia makes six. I blink and wonder how hard I was hit. "Seven?"

"Don't make me call JJ, Aaron," he threatens me. Dave offers me a knowing look which irritates me since there is nothing to know. But I don't want her worrying, and the smart bastard does know that.

"Fine," I concede. I lean my head back and close my eyes and wait for the medics who are rushing down the stairs.

/XXX/

I watch as Jack tightens his hold on JJ as he attempts to stay upright. The two of them are in the center of the roller skating rink, testing out their skates. People are skating circles around them but neither Jack nor JJ seems to care as they continue to hold hands and tentatively skate forwards and backwards and sideways. JJ is leaning down to Jack's level and smiling at him encouragingly as she guides him forward.

I chuckle at the sight of Jack in roller skates; they make his feet look larger than his head and look as if they are ten pounds each.

I wave to catch their attention to let them know I was back with lunch.

"Watch, Daddy!" Jack, my ever brave six-year-old, lets go of JJ's hands and spreads his own outwards for balance. Slowly he pushes one foot forward and then the other. He is on his seventh stride when he misjudges and begins to fall forward. JJ is there and swiftly catches him but then starts to topple over herself. She lands on the floor with Jack on top of her and they are both laughing.

The scene before me is picture perfect.

Minutes later they both join me at the table where I've set up our lunches.

"Having fun, Buddy?"

"Yeah! JJ and I fell!" Jack's voice dissolves into a fit of giggles.

"I saw!" I point to his food on the other side of the table. "Chicken fingers for you. Let's take your skates off and then eat up!" I kneel in front of my son to help him and notice his smile falters a bit.

"No more skating?"

"Not after you eat, Bud, but we've been here for a long time, aren't you tired?"

"A little bit." His answer is followed by a yawn.

"I promise we can come back soon." I pat my son's leg before I yank off one skate.

"With JJ?"

I glance over at JJ where she's sitting in her stocking feet, tucking the laces back into her skates.

"I wouldn't miss it, Jack!" she tells him.

When I come back from trading the skates in for their shoes, I take a seat next to JJ where she is chowing down. "Hungry?" I ask her with a smirk.

"Sure am. Especially for junk food!" she confesses.

"Me too, after this last case I deserve to spoil myself." I go to dig into my burger.

"In that case you should have gotten a beer!"

"Nah, I can't. Not with the meds." I'm not thinking about what I've just insinuated until it is too late.

"What meds?" JJ peers at me which makes me inwardly cringe a bit. She drops her French fry into her basket of food and swivels her seat towards me. She pointedly looks to the cut on my forehead and begins her interrogation. "You went to the hospital?!" she hisses.

I purse my lips at my mistake. "It was nothing, JJ. They just took me as a precaution," I reassure her. I glance at Jack to make sure he's preoccupied with eating and watching the skaters.

"A trip to the hospital is not 'nothing', Aaron! Paramedics patching you up, maybe, but not hospital trips. What happened?" Her voice comes out in a low grumble.

"I told you, I got clipped by the unsub." I am intentionally using the off-hand term in order to make things sound less serious but I can tell JJ's no longer buying it.

"And what exactly, qualifies as being 'clipped' now, Aaron? Normally it doesn't involve an ambulance ride." She shakes her head and crosses her arms and I don't understand why she is so upset with me.

I sigh and look to my son who is wiping his hands on his napkin. "All done, Buddy?" At his nod I tell him to put on his shoes so he can go throw away his garbage in the trash barrel that's a few tables down. I keep my eyes on him as I talk to JJ. "He surprised me, hit me with a wooden beam and I fell down a small flight of stairs." I keep my answer short and to the point and I hope she'll drop it, but I should know better.

"A beam? Fell down a flight of…you didn't think that was a big deal?!" Her voice grew a little louder with each word.

She's angry with me and I don't understand why. She knows the job as well as I do, this kind of thing happens often. We've both been in worse situations.

"How close was it, Aaron?"

Yes, she does know the job inside and out because she knows I know what she's asking me. And I can't lie about it, but a part of me is peeved she is thinking this way. I feel her eyes boring into me and I sigh. I meet her gaze full on, not willing to voice my answer. In all truth, yes, it was close; I was in a very vulnerable position and if it hadn't been for the team…I shake my head. I will not think that way. There is no use in thinking that way. That's why I hate these kinds of questions.

JJ balls up her napkin and fists it in her hand. "Unbelievable," she mutters. With that she gets up with her food and walks towards the garbage.

I'm absolutely bewildered by her reaction.

Later we are in the car, coming back from the roller skating rink and the tension in my SUV can be cut with a knife. Even Jack can tell something's up. I glance to my right and JJ is still staring straight ahead, her jaw clenched. Her cheeks are still flushed which tells me she's still simmering in her irritation. I sigh and drive the next mile to my place without a word.

We are finally home and I put the car in park. Jack immediately undoes his seatbelt and exits the SUV and I don't blame him. JJ and I follow and I let us all into the apartment.

"Jack, go play in your room," I tell him. Once he's out of earshot I turn to where JJ is at the breakfast bar. "JJ why—"

The sight of her tears cuts me off. I'm shocked and I don't know what to do. "What's…" I rush over to her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry!" She blubbers out.

I rub her arm but my eyebrows crease since I'm utterly confused. "Sorry for what?"

"I overreacted at the skating rink. I know the job but…" she stops and sniffles. "But here you made it sound like it was nothing and I trusted that and…" _Sniff_. "And then I find out you went to the hospital and fell down a flight of stairs and got assaulted with a wooden beam and…" _Sniff_. "When I asked you if…your eyes…" She stops and her baby blues stare at me. "It was close wasn't it?"

I steer her to the couch and sit us down. "JJ, you can't ask questions like that. You can't think that way."

She nods vigorously and sniffles again. "I know. I know but this time it's different and I don't know why but it is. I just…I wasn't expecting what you told me. If you're hurt, I want to know so I can help you. I wish I could have been there. I wish I knew so I could have helped you. I'm sorry I got angry with you."

JJ is rambling now and I'm wondering what provoked such an emotional response from her. I've never seen her upset like this before. I take her hand and rub my thumb across her knuckles.

My attention is solely on her but in the back of my mind I can't help but realize the changes happening between us. Reflecting back on everything that's been happening recently, we are more in sync than most couples, yet we aren't a couple. She knows when to give me my space but isn't afraid to push me. She attends my son's soccer games and I buy her dog food. We have dinners with our boys and take zoo trips together, just the four of us.

I look forward to every moment with her and she's my best friend. I don't want her hurting like she is now and I'm glad I have the chance to try and cheer her up and make things better for her.

Like a splash of cold water, understanding dawns on me and my guilt magnifies. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't realize…I didn't want to worry you."

She looks at me with her big, teary eyes and smiles. And she's beautiful.

She reaches up and gently rubs her thumb over the cut just above my brow. I close my eyes and inhale at the contact.

"I know you can handle anything you're faced with, Aaron. I just don't want to be left in the dark. Not with you."

I'm mildly surprised by her words and their meaning. I glance at her lips and they are beckoning me but I know now isn't the time. If I'm ever going to kiss her, and I hope someday I will, it isn't going to be when she's upset. So I do the next best thing and pull her into me, pressing my lips into her hair. "Okay, JJ. Not with me, I promise."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** There was a gap in updating because it is hard to stay motivated! Reviews really do make all the difference! Forgive me but this one is a quick one! I wasn't in the mood to write another segment at JJ's new office so I was limited on "companion" possibilities. While it this is short, I did my best to make it sweet so enjoy and _please_ review!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Criminal Minds.

Jake's Companion 7

"She did it to protect you guys. It wasn't because she didn't trust you."

I'm standing at the doorway to Aaron's office, having just arrived from the Pentagon. It is late—very late—and we're the only ones in the BAU. He jumps at the sound of my voice as it jerks him out of his concentration. I give him a small smile and step into his office, taking a seat in front of his desk.

"How did you get here so fast?" His voice is low and quiet which tells me he's growing tired. We'd spent hours at the State Department waiting for my contacts to come through and eventually I made him come back to the BAU where he could get more work done.

I cock my head to the side and take in his appearance before answering. "It's been almost an hour since I texted you."

"Oh." He breaks our gaze and looks down at the papers covering his desk. "I guess I lost track of time." He clears his throat and picks up his pen, ready to take more notes.

"None of this is your fault." I keep my comment short and to the point because it really is that simple, Aaron just needs to accept it. He taps his pen on a piece of paper and I imagine it making tiny ink dots.

"I should have known better. I knew something was off and I did nothing." He purses his lips and rests his elbows on the desk, fingering his pen with both hands. He's staring at it and avoiding my eyes as if he is ashamed.

"That's not fair, Aaron. We both know that Emily wouldn't have accepted our help anyways. She knew how dangerous the situation could get. She would never involve us if it meant sacrificing our safety."

"We face danger everyday, JJ. This is no different."

I lean forward and make sure I have his complete attention. "Yes it is. Because it is personal. You know it, the team knows it and," I grab a file from my briefcase and toss it onto his desk. "I guarantee _Doyle_ knows it."

Aaron looks from me to the thick folder in front of him. He slowly moves to open it.

"That's everything I could get. This is big, Aaron. People are disappearing left and right but we're sure that Emily is his primary target." He begins to flip through the various papers and his frown deepens. "She was undercover for over a year. She…" I stop because I'm not entirely sure how to tell him Emily went as far as sleeping with an international terrorist for the sake of her country.

Aaron leans on one elbow as he fingers through the file. His thumb is massaging the side of his temple and I'm tempted to reach over and rub it for him. I know he plans on working through the night. I know because I've seen this before during the Foyet ordeal. "Will you let me take you home? You're exhausted, Aaron."

He looks at me, confusion etched in his face. "JJ, I have to review this file. I need to be thorough so I can prep the team first thing in the morning! I can't afford to waste any time!"

"I went through everything as it came in. I can brief the team."

He glances up from the pages for a second. "You?"

I sit up straighter in my chair and jut out my chin, something Mom says I do when I'm determined to get my way. "I'm working this case with you. Don owes me and technically this is my jurisdiction."

"Are you starting a turf war with me?"

His response startles me. I expected more of a fight or hesitation on his end over letting me in on this investigation. On the drive over here I prepared a bunch of arguments for my case and now I don't even know if I'll be using them.

I nod and bite my lip.

Aaron huffs out a breath and looks out into the empty bullpen. I think he is staring at Emily's desk, but I can't be sure. The tension he had when he met me at Jake's is still in his face. His posture screams frustration and stress. It pains me to know he is blaming himself when the only one to blame is Doyle. I exhale a breath I didn't know I was holding which catches Aaron's attention.

"We could use you." He pauses as if he's reconsidering his words. "We need you." Aaron holds my gaze with his brilliant hazel eyes. "I need you," he softly tells me.

Aaron's mumbled confession in his office makes my heart beat faster. My memory flashes back to earlier in the evening when we shared our first kiss and I feel warm all over.

I reach out and still his hands that started to fidget with his pen again.

"You have me."

And I mean it from the bottom of my heart.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Round 8! This chapter doesn't have much of a plot and is mostly just building up everything JJ & Hotch. This one's for you **SSAmalloy7, jekkah, Wren Clahoun **and** Lenika08**…thank you for your vocal support!

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

Jake's Companion 8

Her heels clicking on the tile floor announce her approach. I don't look up until I see her shoes stop in front of me. I take a breath and brace myself to see pity and disappointment in her eyes. But instead, as I look into her baby blues, I see understanding and determination.

"It's done. She'll be transferred to a Canadian hospital once she's stable enough to do so."

"Who's taking care of it?" I'm really asking her if she trusts them.

"Roy Mills, a Marshall I know. He's good. And Jackson is on it too."

"Jackson?" I'm confused. The guy is a pompous asshole. JJ can't stand him.

"He'll do it right. I can trust him and he'll take care of Emily," JJ assures me.

The moment I hear JJ say she trusts the guy I have no choice but to accept it. It is Prentiss, and JJ wouldn't leave her in reckless hands.

I nod and look down at our feet. So many thoughts are running through my mind and I'm struggling to maintain control. Morgan's guilty face is imprinted onto my brain. Reid's helplessness and Garcia's weeping are permanently imbedded into my eyes and ears. Dave's torment and Seaver's shock are both fresh in my memory.

I hear JJ whispering my name but I can't respond because of the overwhelming guilt I'm feeling. I've let my team down.

I see her shoes move closer to mine and suddenly a pair of arms circle around my waist and I feel soft lips at the base of my neck. I instinctively wrap my own arms around the blonde woman in front of me and hold her tightly. I tell myself that if anyone finds us, they'll think we're simply comforting each other, though I don't really care what they'd think at the moment. I inhale JJ's scent in hopes it will calm me.

"She's going to be okay."

"JJ." At first I meant it as a protest to her words that she can't guarantee are true. Instead, her name comes out like a cry for help.

"The team will get through this."

"JJ." I feel a lone tear fall. It pisses me off.

"And we will bring her back home." Her lips tickle the base of my neck every time she speaks. The sensation combined with my emotional turmoil sparks desperation within me.

I abruptly pull back and frame her face with my hands. We don't say anything and I gaze deep into her eyes, as I've done on many occasions, but this time it is different. She knows. She knows I'm about to abandon SSA Aaron Hotchner and take something only she can offer me.

Her hands move from my back and up my chest, granting me silent permission. I don't try to stop myself or allow rationalization to interfere as I crash my lips onto hers. It is desperate, rough and hungry. I need it, I need her.

JJ's fingers tug on my hair as our tongues meet and I'm emboldened. I pull her closer to me in an effort to deepen what is already a mind-blowing kiss. I hear, and feel, her moan into my mouth and I almost breakdown completely.

I pull away before my sadness, anger and guilt overtake the little sense of control I have left. I hold her against me as I lean my head back against the wall and gaze at the ceiling. The tiles lines up together perfectly and are in the simplest form of order; something I can't say for myself or the team.

JJ sighs into my chest and gently moves her hands downwards, placing them back around my waist. I lean forward and place a kiss into her hair before I release her.

/XXX/

I hate lying. It is hard to do it when my team—my friends—explicitly trust me. The only consolation out of all of this is that I know Prentiss is alive and safe. And at least I have JJ.

I squeeze her closer to my chest. I'm sitting against the headboard of the bed with her tucked into my side. She has one arm draped around me as her tears fall onto my shirt. She's needed this moment since the hospital, but forced herself to remain strong for the others.

I feel JJ's grip on my shirt loosen and she goes to wipe away her tears. She takes her time, as if she wants to erase any and all evidence she cried. Her hand moves to smooth out my shirt where she clutched to it.

"I needed that," she whispers, looking at my chest as she continues to flatten the fabric. It is decided that the wrinkles embedded into my shirt are a lost cause so she moves to lie on her back. As she moves away from me she sees the wet spot on my shirt where her tears fell. "Oh your shirt...it's a mess. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I shrug, indifferent. "It's not like we're going anywhere." JJ scoots up so she is sitting up against the headboard next to me and something I said caught her attention. "What?"

"Emily," she half laughs out. "Aaron, she'd be so pissed the two of us were moping right now." JJ runs a hand through her hair and sends me a knowing smile. I see Prentiss' eye roll at the sight of us on my bed, sad and depressed and can hear her taunting us to get a life. JJ slaps a hand on my thigh and nods her head in determination. "Let's go out." She leans her head back and turns it so meet my eyes. I mimic her action and wonder why she thinks going out would solve anything.

"I don't think that is—"

"No, we're going. We both need it. It'll be good to leave here for a bit." She squeezes my thigh where her hand still lays. She gives me a sad smile that matches her still watery eyes. I can't say no, now.

I take the hand that is on my leg and pull it up to my lips. I kiss it and do my best to smile, but I can't bring myself to yet. "Okay. Where are we going?"

/XXX/

"Was that so bad?" JJ asks me as we walk down the hall towards our rooms. It is late, I've had three and a half beers and I know I'm going to regret it in the morning.

"No." We start to slow down in an effort to keep the walk as long as possible. JJ giggles, as she does when she drinks, and latches onto my arm.

"Buuuuut?"

I stop and face her. "It's not Jake's." She nods her head knowingly and exhales a deep breath.

"No, it's not."

I know we are both thinking about the underlying meaning of our words. Things will be different now with Emily gone.

With JJ on my arm we continue our trek down the hall towards her room in silence. This night was terrible, at one point probably one of the worst nights I've had in a long time, but being with JJ simply made it better. Deep down I know that the past 24 hours would have been much harder had she not been here.

We reach her door and I reluctantly let go so she can search for her key. She moves a lock of hair behind her ear as she digs through her things before she holds up the plastic key card victoriously. JJ slides it into the lock and the green light glows, giving her permission to enter.

To walk away and end this night. One that now, I'm not so sure I want to end.

When she looks back at me from the doorway I can tell she's about to continue her "not your fault" mantra. I cut her off before she even has a chance to begin.

"Thank you, JJ."

She gets the message and doesn't say anything but rather gives me a smile of understanding. I lean in to kiss her cheek because I'm aware of where we are but she moves and meets my lips with hers. It's a slow, languid kiss and JJ is framing my face with her delicate hands. This is our fourth kiss—yes, I've counted them—and it is tender and sweet and exactly what I'd expect from JJ.

I'm not aware that we've moved into her room until I hear the door shut. The sound startles me and my lips still. She stops moving hers too and patiently waits for me to either pull away or continue. Rather than over think it, I go with my gut and kiss the hell out of her.

I feel JJ smile against my lips before her own reciprocate. Slowly I steer us backwards to the edge bed, coming to a stop when the backs of her knees hit the mattress. I release a groan when my lips are suddenly met with air as JJ sits down. I'm surprised at the loss of contact and seek her out.

She's looking up at me and is beautiful. I practically feel the fiery desire in her eyes that are also laced with sweet devotion.

"Stay." It isn't a question, nor is it a command. She's putting everything on the table and it is hard for me not to lunge for it.

I feel like my voice won't work so I simply nod, though the motion does not give my eagerness any justice. JJ grabs a hold of my tie and brings me down to the bed with her.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Okay. I caved. This chapter doesn't have much of a plot. In fact, a lot of it is complete angst. (Some call it "smut"?) It is nothing too graphic, I promise! While some of the scenes are significant to the story, I had to have some fun, just like those in a new relationship always have ;) I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint anyone!

Additionally**, thank you for all your reviews! **This is my first story to reach (almost) 50!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds.

Jake's Companion 9

_And I got down-hearted_

_How did you feel?_

_Every time that I—_

_PUMBA! Not in front of the kids!_

_Oh. Sorry._

Jack and Henry are laughing and I can't help but join. Henry begins to clap to "Hakuna Matata" and Jack begins to quietly sing along. The two of them are seated in between Aaron and I on the couch, a common occurrence these days, and the four of us are watching The Lion King.

I feel a hand in mine and I look over to Aaron as he gives it a squeeze. Our arms are along the back of the couch and while there are two bouncing boys in between us, I can still see that his eyes are twinkling. Aaron lets out a chuckle at my, Jack's and Henry's enthusiasm. I can tell he is genuinely relaxed, something I've been trying to get him to do all week. I smile at him and brush my thumb over his knuckles.

Throughout the rest of the movie Aaron alternates from rubbing my palm to intertwining our fingers to massaging my hand. This attention distracts me from the cartoon until I see him drop some popcorn onto the floor for Boo.

"Aaron!" I hiss.

He places his best innocent look on his face and shrugs. "What?"

"You're as bad as the boys!" My point is instantly proven when the boys copy him and drop a few more kernels. They're giggling because they know they can get away with it. Boo is in absolute bliss.

"Okay, boys. Time to get ready for bed," Aaron proclaims.

Jack and Henry surprised us and asked to have a sleepover tonight. It isn't the first time they've done so, but it is the first time they've requested one since Aaron and I have consummated things.

"Go brush your teeth," I say before they scamper off. I pick up the popcorn bowl and glance at Boo. There are only a few kernels left so I give them to her.

"I saw that!" Aaron accuses me. He has a proud grin on his face that I want to smack away. Or kiss away.

"I did nothing." I dismiss his accusation with a sweet smile as I pass him to go into the kitchen to rinse out the bowl. I'm at the sink and he's behind me in two seconds. He places his hands on my hips and nuzzles my neck.

"Think we should have a sleepover too?"

His suggestion makes my stomach tingle. "Hmm, why would I want to do that?" At my teasing he moves his hands around to my front and his thumbs play with the waist band of my jeans. I can't help but move back into him. "I suppose a sleepover sounds fun," I say. I turn off the faucet and open the dishwasher that is next to the sink. I keep my legs straight and bend over to place the bowl on the lower rack, purposefully rubbing against Aaron.

"JJ…" he growls out.

"What?" I play my innocent card again but give him an evil smile.

"You're evil," he says with a heated gaze.

I reach out and finger the waist band of his jeans, returning the favor. I tug him towards me and whisper against his lips. "I'm going to go check on the boys."

/XXX/

"Mmm."

Aaron's moan against my chest vibrates throughout my whole body. He's lying on top of me, utterly spent from our lovemaking.

"Good for you?"

He raises his head and rests his chin in between my breasts. He has a boyish grin on his face and his hair is sticking out in all sorts of directions—my fault, really—and looks absolutely adorable. I smile and thread my hands through his dark hair in an attempt to smooth it out. That, and I absolutely love to run my fingers through it.

"Mmm hmm," he answers.

"You're speechless?" He grins at me, heat still simmering in his eyes. "Is that a good thing, or bad?"

He lowers his lips to kiss my chest and pinches my nipples with his amazing fingers—they are very amazing. He is still partially inside me and I close my eyes at the feel of him twitching within my folds.

"Good I take it?" I mutter.

Aaron stops his magic and scoots upwards. "Very," he mumbles against my lips before kissing them. It is a slow, wanton kiss with promises of even more things to come later tonight. He releases my lips and slides out of me before pulling me into his arms. "I'm proud of you for staying somewhat quiet," he mumbles into my ear before kissing it.

I giggle at his affectionate teasing. I never pictured Aaron being this way with me but it is addicting. I don't think I could ever go back to the way things used to be; while _Hotch_ is amazing, _Aaron_ is infinitely better.

I sigh with satisfaction. However, there is a small part of me that is a bundle of nerves. Aaron and I haven't discussed anything in regards to what is happening—has happened—between us. It didn't call for conversation when we first crossed this final boundary because it wasn't necessary at the time. While fueled by emotional distress, it was a natural progression we both understood and simply allowed ourselves to fall into. For once, we went with it rather than over think it.

But now we are here, in my home and in my bed with our boys fast asleep down the hall. And while I know Aaron would never be reckless when it came to Jack or Henry and their perception of us, there is a tiny sliver of me that needs more than just the comfortable, easily blossoming, un-voiced relationship between us. I need the verbal assurance that this wonderful, perfect something between us is real.

"Aaron?"

"Hmm?"

I smile at his little use for words, but my anxiety wipes it away. "This is real, right?" I'm surprised how tentative my voice sounds. It is as if I'm afraid even though I know Aaron would never hurt me. I trust him with my life, I have for a long time, and that includes my heart. However, what girl can be confident about a man they are romantically involved with unless they have a voiced commitment?

At my words he stops rubbing my arm. He maneuvers himself so that he can look into my eyes and suddenly I'm shy.

"JJ," he begins, searching my face. He seems puzzled and I feel my cheeks flush. "You didn't think…?"

Aaron looks hurt and I feel two inches tall for making him look so miserable. I am forced to meet his piercing gaze and watch as it resonates with determination. "Yes. Yes, it is real." He grabs my hand and squeezes it as relief floods through me. "I…isn't it for you?"

He sounds nervous, a tone I'm not used to hearing in his voice.

"Yes!" I blurt. I caress the side of his face. "It is for me, too."

His forlorn look instantly turns into a happy one. "Good." He looks down, considering something, before he glances back up at me. "JJ," he pauses and it makes my breath catch. "Don't doubt that again." He looks at me with the same sincerity I used to see while on cases when he is consoling families, interrogating unsubs or reinforcing his confidence in his team. However, seeing it directed at me on a personal level takes my breath away.

"JJ it will always be real to me."

His words travel from his lips deep into my heart where I know I'll treasure them for a lifetime.

/XXX/

"Aaron?" I call out when I get inside. I close the door and habitually lock it. The house is awfully quiet, something I notice right away.

"Hey!" He says, greeting me as I set my things on the lounge chair in my living room. He comes up and embraces me with a big grin on his face. It is infectious and I'm smiling when he captures my lips with his own. Before I know it he turns us around and throws us down onto the loveseat.

"Aaron!" I'm surprised at his spontaneity. We begin to laugh together and he begins to nip at my neck. "Stop!" I barely manage to get out in between my giggles. Giggles. I never giggled so damn much until Aaron Hotchner came around, being all perfect and wonderful.

"Okay, okay!" he concedes after I pinch him. Aaron lifts himself by his elbows and hovers over me. "The boys are with Jessica so go get dressed! I'm taking you out on a real date tonight." He completes his order with a quick peck.

I raise my eyebrows, suddenly nervous. "Jessica has them? She's…that's not too much?" I've never left Henry with Jessica before since I never wanted to assume Haley's sister would be okay with ut.

"No, I promise." He lightly tickles me before getting up and holding out his hand. "Come on, our dinner reservations are at seven."

I'm still trying to get used to Aaron's affectionate playfulness with me. While it was apparent within the past few months, it feels different—better different—when it is on a romantic level.

Some of his raven hair has fallen forward onto his forehead, making him looked relaxed and happy. Suddenly I'm not in the mood for a fancy dinner.

"You know, we could always ditch the fancy dinner and have some dessert instead."

Aaron stops pulling me towards the stairs and blanches at my bluntness. "But, uh, but our reservation…" I snicker at his attempt to form a sentence and it thrills me that I can make Aaron Hotchner speechless.

I secure my arms around him and begin to kiss his neck. "No worries, we can just go to Jake's afterwards."

He grabs my hands from behind his neck and intertwines our fingers, bringing them to our sides. "You want to go to Jake's? Our first kid-free, case-free night in…" At my look he stops and shakes his head. "Are you sure?"

There is a hint of a smile on his face which tells me he isn't completely opposed to the idea.

"Well if we don't have to worry about making a reservation we can take our time and try a few things…" I taunt. I am pressed against him, chest to toe, and heat is pooling within me. He wraps his arms around me and cups my ass, all the while smirking at me.

"Dessert, huh?" His voice makes me shudder. When Aaron gets like this I feel like I'm twenty years old again. "Well I can't deny a girl of that," he says against my lips.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**: Thank you for all the encouraging reviews! I really appreciate the time and effort the reviewers make. Here's chapter ten, meaning there is only one more chapter to go before this story is a wrap! Please review!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Criminal Minds.

Jake's Companion 10

Morgan finishes telling me about his consult when he stands and nods at the paper Santa hanging from my bookshelf.

"Is that Henry's?"

I glance up at him from my report and swivel my chair towards the handcrafted decoration. I can't help but smile when I see his name lightly written on the Santa's belly in sloppy, capital letters in purple crayon.

"Yes. He was adamant about me hanging it up in my office, I think he wants to compete with Jack," I explain, motioning to Jack's gingerbread house. Morgan looks behind him and sees Jack's creation on the far table by the couch. He begins to chuckle and scratches his head.

"Cute, Hotch," Morgan says.

I realize I've offered more information than necessary so I don't answer him and instead move back to the reports littering my desk.

"How's uh," I hear Morgan taps the file in his hands, "How's that all going?" he asks. He is standing just behind the chair he vacated a few seconds ago.

I decide it is best to keep my answer brief. "Fine."

I purse my lips and avert my gaze from his. Morgan has known about JJ and I since Saturday which was five days ago and I almost made it through the work week without having to hear a peep from him about it. Almost.

"Fine?" Derek shakes his head. "Uh, Hotch? It looks like it is a lot better than 'fine'." Morgan points at Henry's, then Jack's, Christmas projects. I raise an eyebrow at his inference. "And then Saturday?" he lets out a low whistle which earns him a glare from me. Morgan lifts his hands in front of him, using the manila folder as a shield. "Don't hate, don't hate. I've kept my mouth shut."

"Until now," I mutter. Morgan laughs at my annoyance. Typical.

"Hotch you're gonna have to face the music sometime."

"Well 'sometime' isn't now," I clarify. The man has a point, but I'm not convinced it is something JJ and I need to worry about just yet. And Morgan, while he deliberately jibes, is loyal. He won't disclose anything about my relationship with JJ. I watch as he grabs the back of the chair, pulls it out and takes a seat. He leans forward, rests his elbows on his knees and looks over my shoulder at Henry's Santa.

"Hotch, man. You happy?"

It is a simple question that I'm certain he already knows the answer to, which is irritating. Though, I see the sincerity he is expressing and it is enough to break my stoicism. I give in and smile.

"Yes. More than I ever thought I could be."

/XXX/

"It's Christmas! It's Christmas!"

I grunt as Henry—or is it Jack?—lands on my stomach. I open my eyes and am face to face with my son who is glowing with excitement.

"It's Christmas morning? Already?" I lazily tickle his sides and yawn, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. It is six fifty. In the morning. I make myself sit up and wrestle Jack onto the mattress beside me.

"Yes! Yes!" Jack insists, "Come on, let's open presents!"

"Presents!" Henry echoes. He is clawing his way up onto the bed but I feel for him and reach over to pull him up.

"Oh! You want to open presents, huh?"

"Yeah!" both boys exclaim. Henry's in my lap and Jack is leaning into my side. Neither of them able to sit completely still.

"Are you sure Santa came?"

"Yes! We looked!" Jack confesses as he begins to bounce up and down, swinging my arm with him.

"Without me?" I gasp, humoring them.

"Mommy was with us!" Henry says.

"She was?" I look up as JJ enters the room with two steaming mugs. She's in one of my Georgetown shirts and a pair of cotton Victoria Secret pajama bottoms I bought her as an early Christmas present. They aren't nearly as special as the picture and frame she bought me, but I have something to make up for it later.

"She was, and it looks like Santa was very generous this year." She grins knowingly at me and hands me my coffee. "You boys ready to open some presents?" She raises an eyebrow and I know she is addressing all three of us.

"Yes!" Jack, Henry and I answer in unison. The boys scoot off the bed; Jack leaping off, Henry assisted by his mother. The two of them don't even wait for JJ and I to follow and dash back towards the living room.

"You gonna make it?" JJ asks as I yawn.

I take a sip of my coffee before answering. "Our boys need a lesson in morning etiquette." I rub the sleep out of my eyes and drag a hand down my face.

"Etiquette?"

"Yes. How it doesn't begin until after the sun rises."

JJ laughs at me and takes the mug from my hand. She sets both on her nightstand and crawls onto the bed, seating herself right in front of me. She snickers and crinkles her nose and I can't resist bringing her in for a kiss.

"Mmm our boys are waiting," she whispers against my lips. I run my hands under her shirt and over her bare hips.

"Mmm they're preoccupied opening presents."

JJ pulls back and smirks. "They'll open your presents too if we don't get out there."

I bring her back towards me, not willing to let her go just yet. "I have my present right here."

"Aren't you just dying to unwrap it?"

I groan at her teasing, knowing full well that I won't be able to play with my—gift—until well later. "You're mean."

"You love it."

"I love you." I'll never tire of saying that to her. I stare into her baby blues; I could lose myself in them. "Merry Christmas, JJ."

"Merry Christmas, Aaron." We share another kiss that's interrupted by a yell from the living room.

"Daddy! JJ! Come on!"

"Let's go, Daddy."

And with that, the love of my life takes my hand in hers and we go join our boys in front of the Christmas tree.


End file.
